The largest stage of recruitment for the Census begins on Saturday. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is looking for about 26,000 workers Australia-wide to deliver and collect Census forms.

Already 3,500 Area Supervisors have been employed across Australia and now these supervisors will recruit, train and manage the Census Collectors.

Collectors deal directly with the public. Collectors will become a familiar sight in the lead up to the Census of 8 August. With their bright yellow bags they will deliver Census forms to 10 million households across the nation.

Collectors are employed from 30 June until September 9. Collectors work part-time and will require their own vehicles. Most will be paid between $800 and $1,500 depending on the workload.

In urban areas a Collector has responsibility for about 500 homes. In rural areas a Collector has responsibility for upwards of 200 homes because of the extra travelling time.

The head of the Census, Paul Williams, said, “we have had an outstanding response to our search for Area Supervisors. Now it is time to employ Collectors. We are particularly interested in hearing from people in rural and regional areas. People from all walks of life have become Collectors in the past, including retired people, community workers, part time workers and stay-at-home parents.”

Mr Williams said Census Collector positions were worthwhile jobs, which gave people experience working on a national project. The positions allowed people to contribute to their community, while being paid for doing it.

Census information is used for a range of planning purposes by all levels of government, private institutions and the community. For example community organisations use Census figures to help them determine where to provide services for the elderly and young people.

To apply for employment go to www.abs.gov.au/recruitment or call 1300 236 787 from 8 April.